Boost Balloon

Only up and down

The balloon has two states. It climbs while you hold and sinks as soon as you let go, and on desktop and mobile alike those two actions are all the flying there is. Everything in a run follows from them: collecting a coin or getting clear of a bird or a plane comes down to being at the right height at the right moment.

The screen is a hazard too. Once the shield has worn off, drifting past its limits costs HP just as a collision does, so treat the edges as walls.

Why short boosts work

The hint that comes with the game is to boost in brief bursts rather than holding the input down, and the reason is in the rules above. A boost that never stops only carries the balloon one way, towards the edge of the screen and the damage waiting there. Short presses, with gaps for the balloon to sink back, let you hold a height and adjust it a little at a time as birds, planes and coins appear.

The first five seconds

You start each run under a blue shield that lasts five seconds, and until it fades nothing can hurt you. That makes the opening a free moment to feel how the balloon responds to a press before the real danger begins.

Remember, too, that the balloon is the only part that can be hurt. The basket hanging underneath it is safe, which gives you a little room when something passes just below.

Coins and the shop

Gold coins turn up along the way, and whatever you collect can be spent in the shop to unlock extra features. Chasing a coin can pull you away from a safe height, though, so it is worth a glance at what else is on screen before you go for it.